Execs say cable TV shows on web not a threat

Cable industry executives said on Wednesday that putting cable TV shows on the Web was an opportunity for the industry rather than a threat, though technical challenges still need to be addressed. Concerns that cable companies would be by-passed by consumers preferring to watch their favorite shows online rather than on television missed the point that cable companies also provide the broadband pipes for delivery of Internet video, executives said at industry trade event, The Cable Show. Comcast and Time Warner Cable are among the cable operators currently working with cable program makers on new ways of enabling access for customers who already pay for their favorite shows as part of the cable package. Comcast calls its plan for web programming On Demand Online, and sees it as an extension of its TV-based video on demand service, while Time Warner has called its plan to offer programs online, TV Everywhere.